Master developer hired at Canyons Resort

Varde Partners, the managing member of TCFC, the primary property owner of Canyons Resort, announced in a press release that Replay Resorts has been hired as master developer to oversee development at the base of the resort.

Brian Cejka, Chief Operating Officer at TCFC, told The Park Record that the hiring is an important step in building a long-term plan for the resort, which is operated by Vail Resorts as the result of a 2013 lease agreement. Replay will work collaboratively with Vail, TCFC and local stakeholders throughout the process.

"Replay’s role in all of this will be serving as a development consultant and advisor to TCFC," he said. "They will really be working to bring more precision to the overall master plan for the Canyons. Ultimately, once the plan has been formulated and finalized, they will work to implement the actual construction of the plan."

Cejka declined to give specifics on any current plans for development at the resort. However, he did say Replay’s efforts will be largely focused in and around the base of the resort and will not be directly involved in the proposed gondola that would connect Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort. Additionally, he noted that Canyons has a Specially Planned Agreement (SPA) with Summit County that governs much of the development in and near the resort.

"I think (the SPA) is sort of the guiding light that gives us direction on where development can go," he said. "What we’re really going to be asking Replay to do is to take that general plan and start getting a lot more granular as it relates to what is built where and at what point in time in the future."

According to Todd Burnette, spokesman for TCFC, Replay will have control of four million square feet of development space.

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Replay has developed property at other ski resorts, such as Whistler Blackcomb in Vancouver, Canada, according to the release.

"We couldn’t be more pleased to have this opportunity," said Michael Coyle, CEO of Replay Resorts, in the release. "This role brings us back to our roots and leverages our team’s history and expertise in developing some of the most iconic destination mountain resorts in the U.S., Canada and Europe. We believe this area is evolving to be the most sought after ski destination in North America and with easy proximity to an international airport, this is where the world will come to play."